Sunday, June 19, 2011

Gay Games Ambassador to join FGG member FSGL for Paris Gay Pride

Chris Morgan to join FGG member FSGL at Paris Gay PrideWorld champion powerlifter to join hundreds of French athletes in 25 June event

Gay Games Ambassador Chris Morgan, the current British, World and Gay Games powerlifting champion, will be participating in this year’s Paris Gay Pride alongside members of Fédération sportive gaie et lesbienne (FSGL), a member organization of the Federation of Gay Games.

During his career Chris has won the World Championship four times, the British championship six times, and nearly one year after taking his sixth gold medals in Powerlifting at Gay Games VIII in Cologne, Germany, Chris Morgan will be showing his support for LGBT sport by crossing the Channel from his home in England to stand alongside the athletes of FSGL member clubs and ride on their float, which will be promoting the slogan of the federation: “Against all forms of discrimination, let’s play sport together”.

Morgan stated: “I had planned to come to Paris for their TIP annual multisport tournament earlier in June, but at the last minute the World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation’s German Open was rescheduled for the same weekend. I needed to participate in this event to prepare for the forthcoming European Championships in Estonia, so I had to miss the TIP. But I really wanted to come to Paris this year and support the FSGL, so I’m delighted to have been invited to join them for the Gay Pride parade.”

He continued: “As an athlete who participates in both elite mainstream sport and LGBT sport, I am particularly interested by the FSGL’s efforts to build bridges between these communities. I think this is important both for improving the range of competitive opportunities for gay and lesbian athletes, and for changing attitudes in mainstream sport.”

Christelle Foucault, president of the FSGL, added: “We are delighted to have Chris here this year. He is a great champion, and an outstanding advocate for LGBT sport. We are very pleased with our outreach to elite athletes this year, with Marielle Bousquet, a member of the French national volleyball team, and Romain Mesnil, vice-champion pole vaulter, as patrons of the TIP, and now Chris Morgan, another world champion athlete, joining us for the Gay Pride.”